Rumble In The Savannah – By Toibudeen Oduniyi
Loading ...There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood leads to fortune. Omitted, all the
voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a sea are we now afloat. And we
must take the current when it serves or lose our ventures. – William Shakespeare
Whichever way we look at it, events of Tuesday, July 24th, 2018 will have seismic effect on the 2019
elections and probably beyond.
In politics they say, there are no permanent friends, but permanent interests. A rump of APC
legislators defected to PDP threatening APC’s control of both chambers. This is the height of the mass
defection fever that has gripped the country for months. At least, we have reached the crescendo, the
dust will now settle in the next few months and then we will see who has bitten the dust and who is
left standing. The body polity is seriously heated, old alliances are being broken and new ones being
made. It’s all about gains and wins for politicians, as they switch camps and cross carpets. Alas, where
is the gain for the ordinary Nigerian.
Most of the politicians cross carpeting are those who abandon PDP at the twilight of the Jonathan
administration. Now that they are finding APC uncomfortable, they are on the move again, indeed a
leopard cannot change its spot. If they keep their seats, it will be rather unfortunate as it incentivises
such treacherous moves in the future. The law needs to be amended such that anybody elected on
the platform of a party must vacate the seat and stand for election as either an independent or a
candidate of another party if that person decamps from the party on which elected. This will
strengthen our democracy and instil discipline into erring politicians. As long as we allow cross
carpeting without implications, it will continue to destabilise our democratic structures.
We have a serious battle at hand, the realignment has redrawn our political terrain into the old order
with the progressives facing off the conservatives. For the first time in our history though, the
progressives are on the backfoot and facing a fight for survival.
There are two principal strategists at work here.
Asiwaju is the titan bestriding our political landscape like a colossus. There is only one Jagaban, I make
bold to say any other pretender is a fake. From his base in Lagos State, he has developed a team of
competent and proven technocrats who have gradually fanned out across the South West – a
testimony to his uncommon ability to attract and retain the loyalty of many successful professionals.
He has always been the man who provides succour for embattled and cheated politicians of all shades
and colour. A cult like following amongst the masses has given him the winning touch. His political
sagacity leaves you in awe.
Saraki is a deft, calculating and affable character. He has an army of acolytes who have shown time
and time again, their focus is material benefit and gains. Saraki has displayed an uncanny ability to
wrong foot the ruling party, consistently beating them at the game. His survival instincts are legendary.
With huge financial war chest, they hope to wrest power back and enthrone their dubious and corrupt
practices again. Their antecedents are grim, an elitist group bereft of any serious idea or plan to
address the issues facing the country.
As the two Generals marshal their armies for the showdown, all bets are off.
Will Omo Oloye will be finally humbled and cut down to size by the master strategist, coalition and
consensus builder??
Will the ascendancy of the progressives be brutally cut down by an unholy alliance of conservative
brigands??
This is a formidable rumble in the Savannah.
Let the game begin!!!
At the end of the day, the people of Nigeria decide
